Description
Lobelia cardinalis
CT DR RG P
Soil: Acidic to Neutral, Humus-rich
Moisture: Moist to Wet
Light: Full to Part Sun
Plant Height: 2 to 4 feet
Plant Width: to 1.5 feet
Pests: None
Landscape Value: Good in woodland and shade gardens, rain gardens, along streams and ponds, and in borders if soils kept uniformly moist. Great for massing. Makes an excellent cut flower.
A real show stopper, this clump-forming perennial has erect, leafy stems terminating in spikes of scarlet red, tubular flowers that bloom from bottom to top in late summer. Needs constant moisture so mulching is beneficial. Tolerates brief flooding. Short-lived, but self-seeds and produces offsets from lower leaf axils that quickly put down their own roots. A favorite of hummingbirds and also attracts butterflies.
5-pint pot
Photo credits:
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (photos by Alan Cressler, Joseph Marcus)
North Carolina State Extension (photo by Vijay Somalinga)
University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension
